Iran arrests 27 people more over bank corruption case

Another 27 people have been arrested over the recent $2.8 billion bank corruption case, while a criminal case has been filed against 50 people, the Prosecutor General of Iran Gholamhossein Mohseni E'jei said in interview with the 2nd channel of Iranian television, IRINN news channel reported.

E'jei said last month 126 people have been brought to justice over $2.8 billion bank corruption case, 106 people of them are changed with this case.

He also added that 175 commercial, offices and residential complexes of the main person charged with this case were confiscated, 130 of which are located in Tehran and other provinces.

E'jei also said that the group that misappropriated a great amount of money has collected $4 billion investments, a great volume of which has been gained after Amir Mansur Aria company's (the company charged with the case) establishment in 2006.

Over the past two months 22 people has been arrested over the recent $2.6 billion "Saderat" bank corruption case. The suspects are accused of opening a credit line in one of the branches of the bank "Saderat" in the province of Khuzestan and the illegal removal of these funds in the branch of "Bank Melli" (National Bank of Iran) in the city of Kish.

In this regard, the director of the National Bank Khavari, resigned and fled to Canada. Directors of "Saderat" and "Saman" were dismissed. Also last week, the Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of Iran Hamid Pourmohammadi was arrested. A close relative of Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, the chief of staff of the President of Iran, Inayatullah Riyahi has been arrested on this case as well.

In June this year, several people close to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the chief of staff of the President of Iran Rahim Mashaei had been arrested on suspicion of corruption.